Bruce Darling tried to make each day a good one. His mantra was “making today a good day.” If his wife Cher Darling was not having a good day, he would tell her to “make today a good day.”
“He was very positive,” Cher said. “He had been suffering from heart disease for a very long time, and he just kept on going and making it a good day.”
Bruce, an accounting professor at the University of Oregon, passed away last month at the age of 65. A beloved teacher at UO, Lane and NCU, Bruce made what he taught fun. According to a statement by the UO Department of Accounting, he was full of interesting stories – he played softball with Bruce Springsteen and watched rock artist Meatloaf record “Bat Out of Hell.” He would tell stories in class to add humor to what he was teaching, even if it was a topic that was boring or uninteresting to some, Cher said.
Students, faculty, alumni and members of the community are invited to attend a memorial being held by members of the Lundquist College of Business on Monday, March 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lillis Business Complex.
Bruce grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended The College of Wooster. He later earned an MBA and MFIS at Cleveland State University and a Ph.D. at Madison University. Bruce was an accounting instructor at Lake Erie College and Stark State College until he moved to Oregon in 2002. Bruce also ran his own accounting firm for small businesses since 1980, according to the accounting department. Bruce is survived by his second wife Cher Darling, his two daughters Dawn Olsen and Lori Biamonte, and his six grandchildren.
Bruce was always a collector, Cher said in an interview with the Emerald. His first job was in elementary school delivering newspapers. He would cash his checks to get pennies, and he would look through bowls of pennies until he found the best ones for his coin collection. Bruce collected many other things, such as model trains.
He was a musical man – he played the organ, piano and accordion. He loved to swim; he and Cher went to hot springs every Sunday for 12 years. Bruce loved cats and made sure to always greet his cat Chessie when he got home, Cher said.
Whenever Bruce and Cher would go out they would frequently run into students he taught at UO. Students were always so thankful for everything Bruce had done for them and were always so happy to see him.
Cher said he was dedicated to his job and to everyone in his life. He always tried to make sure his students made it through school. He would stay longer during his office hours and be late getting home because he spent extra time helping his students. He was concerned for people and would speak up for those who could not protect themselves.
“They don’t make men like Bruce very often,” said Cher. “He was so kind and gentle, and when I would talk about him with people, I would say ‘You know he is like a gentle giant.’”